A BIG shake-up of top jobs at Coventry City Council is being proposed by chief executive Stella Manzie.

Two of the council's directors - Chris Hinde and Angie Ridgwell - will find their jobs are to disappear, if the Cabinet agrees next year.

Ms Manzie wants an assistant chief executive so she can concentrate on a strategic vision for the city.

City development director John McGuigan is similarly to get a new deputy so he can focus on the big picture.

He'll also get a new city centre regeneration director who may be hired in from the private sector on secondment.

Together they'll try to bring thousands more office jobs and more shops - from big names such as John Lewis to smaller specialist shops - to the city centre.

Council leader Ken Taylor said: "One of our major weaknesses in the city is the city centre. As soon as Primark arrived, that's increased the number of people visiting it and I assume the same will happen when IKEA opens.

"Stella will be looking at this and be in discussions with myself and others."

Mr McGuigan said: "the city is changing quite dramatically now, I think epopel can see evidence of that. We al recognise the city centre is key to what the future of the city's going to be."

Two people in traditional top posts will see their jobs go - Chris Hinde, director of legal and democratic services and Angie Ridgwell, director of finance and ICT.

Two new director level posts will be created - one for finance and legal, and another combining customer services and human resources.

Ms Ridgewell is already due to leave the council at the end of the year to take up the chief executive's job at Thurrock Borough Council in Essex.

Cllr Taylor said he hoped it would cost the same, or only a few thousands pounds more, per year than current arrangements.

Staff are being consulted until January 15 and a paper will go before Cabinet in February.

Other changes include getting rid of the job of head of corporate policy and merging two posts of head of public protection and head of street services into one.